"I would buy that piece of property right there. It has been abandoned since Katrina," said Brenda Singleton, who lives in the Lower Ninth Ward.

Singleton, who is a lifelong resident, is thrilled to learn about a plan that could improve her quality of life.

"We need to come back, baby. We still deserted down here. We still have a lot of blighted houses. They call this 'the jungle' down here," Singleton said.

The Lower Ninth Ward Redevelopment Act, authored by State Rep. Wesley Bishop, has to make its way through the Legislature. The goal is to reduce blight, spur development and involve residents from day one.

"Even for those individuals who have taken advantage of the Lot Next Door program, a $10,000 or $20,000 piece of property often times is still unattainable for many of our residents, so in this situation here they get the property for a fraction of the cost," said Bishop.

If passed the bill allows for the purchase of abandoned properties for as little as $100, but there are perimeters.

"It's not meant to be a situation where somebody can buy property and flip it or somebody can buy it and then rent it. It can't be developers trying to pick up whole tracts of land. None of those individuals will be eligible for this program," said Bishop.

Bishop said residents of the Lower Ninth Ward would have first dibs.

Second in line are people living in other communities who still own property in the Lower Ninth Ward and want to come back.

Third are young people who have some connection to the community and want to return.

And lastly, newcomers.

"We want to be fair in our outreach to people in this community because you know they made the investment to come back," said community activist Vanessa Garinger.

Garinger has lived in the area her entire life. She said she came up with the idea because many of her neighbors maintain the empty lots to keep the wildlife at bay.

"We want to spur development, we want to spur economic development in this community and we want it to be community-driven. We want a place at the table," Garinger said.

A seat at the table in what could ultimately pave a new road home.

"These people are desperate. We have desperate people that want to live," said Singleton.

Plans are in the works for a town hall meeting to inform people in the area about the plan and answer any questions.

PASSED, COULD SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT THAT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT STATE LAWMAKERS DECIDE. WDSU ANCHOR LATONYA NORTON IS ON YOUR SIDE TO EXPLAIN. "I would buy that piece of property right there. It has been abandoned since Katrina." LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE LOWER NINTH WARD ... BRENDA SINGLETON ... IS ECSTATIC TO LEARN ABOUT A PLAN THAT COULD IMPROVE HER QUALITY OF LIFE... "Oh that is a blessing." "We need to come back baby we still deserted down here we still have a lot of blighted houses. They call this the jungle down here." THE LOWER NINTH WARD REDEVELOPMENT ACT... AUTHORED BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE WESLEY BISHOP... HAS TO MAKE IT'S WAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.... THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE BLIGHT, SPUR REDEVELOPMENT, AND INVOLVE RESIDENTS FROM DAY ONE. "Even for those individuals who have taken advantage of the lot next door program a 10-thousand or 20- thousand dollar piece of property often times is still unattainable for many of our residents so in this situation here they get the property for a fraction of the cost." "If passed the bill allows for the purchase of abandoned properties like this one for as little as 100 dollars but there are perameters." "It's not meant to be a situation where somebody can buy property and flip it or somebody can buy it and then rent it... can't be developers trying to pick up whole tracks of land. None of those individuals will be eligible for this program." REPRESENTATIVE BISHOP SAYS LIFE LONG RESIDENTS OF THE LOWER NINTH WARD WOULD HAVE FIRST DIBS... SECOND IN LINE ARE PEOPLE LIVING IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT STILL OWN PROPERTY IN THE LOWER NINE AND WANT TO COME BACK... THIRD... ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOME CONNECTION THE COMMUNITY AND WANT TO RETURN. AND LAST IN LINE... NEWCOMERS... "We want to be fair in our outreach to people in this community because you know they made the investment to come back." COMMUNITY ACTIVIST VANESSA GARINGER, HAS LIVED HERE ALL HER ENTIRE LIFE. SHE SAYS SHE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA BECAUSE MANY OF HER NEIGHBORS MAINTAIN THE EMPTY LOTS TO KEEP THE WILDLIFE AT BAY... "We want to spur development, we want to spur economic development in this community and we want it to be community driven. We want a place at the table." A SEAT AT THE TABLE IN WHAT COULD ULIMATELY PAVE A NEW ROAD HOME... "These people are desparate. We have desparate people that want to live." ON YOUR SIDE IN THE LOWER NINTH WARD, LATONYA NORTON, WDSU. PLANS ARE IN THE WORKS FOR A TOWN HALL MEETING TO